March 21, 2006

Spring Snow

Blizzards belong in Winter, but sometimes they get sidetracked and fail to show till the tulips have already begun showing their brightly-colored caps. By late March many farmers have taken the plow off the tractor, and South Dakotans have swapped out their studded snow tires.

Then the late snow hits.

The Spring blanket transforms dirty brown fields and hillsides into a fairyland of purity. Dirty brown pulls us down. Sparkling white draws us up. After the blizzard, everything glitters under the warmth of the morning's sun. And blue sky above white snow makes the best pictures ever!

God understood all of this when he asked Isaiah to help us understand sinfulness, forgiveness and grace. Right in the middle of a disciplinary speech (where God is pointing out the dirt in our lives and commanding a full-life turnaround) He pauses, looks squarely into our eyes, smiles, reaches out a welcoming hand and says, "Come now. Let's settle this. Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow."

His offer is like a Spring Snow, promising to draw us away from our poor choices into the purity of His Heaven.

The lyrics of a favorite song run though my mind every time I see a snow-covered hillside...or a purified sinner.

God's grace like the snow is beginning to fall.
And somewhere it's snowing,
see the soft drifting down,
As the snowflakes surrender
to the hardening ground.
Like the good grace of Jesus, that now
covers our sin.
In the kingdom of Heaven,
It's snowing again.

Spring is a perfect time for a blizzard of grace.

Scripture quote is from is Isaiah 1:18 and the lyrics for "Somewhere it's Snowing" are by Stephanie Boosahda Spring Snow screensaver available for download at http://homepage.mac.com/rduerksen/PhotoAlbum35.html

Dick Duerksen
Assistant Vice President
Mission Development
Florida Hospital